christopher price

Bruschi Back On The Field

FOXBOROUGH -- This summer, Tedy Bruschi sightings have been few and far between.

But the senior member of New England’s linebacking corps was in attendance for Sunday afternoon’s training camp session, the first padded practice he’s taken part in since the start of camp on July 30. On a sweltering afternoon that saw two of his younger teammates carted off with what were apparently heat-related maladies, he rotated in with the first and second defense at his traditional inside linebacker spot, looking like he was happy to get a chance to knock heads again.

In his first extended interview since the start of training camp, he explained his extended absence from padded practices by saying he “just had to take care of a few things,” adding that when you get to be his age -- 36 -- it takes a little while longer to bounce back from injury.

“You get a little bit older and you have to mend some aches and some pains -- that’s just why it took a little while longer for me to get out here,” said Bruschi, who didn’t specify the nature of those aches and pains. “But I’m feeling better now, and hopefully, I can get back to work.”

With the first two-plus weeks of training camp (and the first preseason game) already in the books, Bruschi confessed he feels like he needs to play catch-up on what he may have missed.

“Absolutely,” he said. “If I can quote my coach: ‘Practice execution equals reality.’ So you don’t really get that look (in practice), you don’t really get that rep until you’re out here on the practice field.

“Do you feel a little bit behind because you haven’t been out here for so long? Yeah. But you get in the meeting room and watch the film, and hopefully, you don’t become an error repeater.”

Bruschi, who was drafted by the Patriots during Bill Clinton’s first term and took his first snap in the NFL when fellow inside linebacker Jerod Mayo was just 10 years old, said he doesn’t have a preseason timetable in mind when it comes to preparing for the 2009 season.

“That’s something you never think of,” he said. “You go into the second preseason game and say, ‘I should have this many snaps to be ready to go in Week 1’? Absolutely not. You don’t think that way.

“You just have to have yourself ready to play the whole game, like Bill says, and if you do that, even if you don’t get as many reps as you want, at least you were ready to get those reps.”

Some of those reps Sunday were likely in anticipation of playing some middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense. A 3-4 team for many years, the Patriots showed plenty of 4-3 in their preseason opener against the Eagles in Philadelphia last Thursday, and look like they’re going to stay flexible in their defensive approach this season.

“What I know is that everyone around the league always looks at us as unpredictable,” said Bruschi when asked about the possibilities of toying with the 4-3 this year. “I mean you never really know what we’re going to bring to the table -- 4-3, 3-4, 5-2.

“Is it possible for us to do it? I think it is, because of the guys that are multitalented along our fronts. So any type of front that we play, week to week, it’s something for our opponents to guess.”

He’s not the physical on-field presence he was three, four or five years ago -- when healthy last season, he split much of his time at inside linebacker with youngster Gary Guyton -- but the Arizona product will still be counted on this season to provide veteran leadership, as well as consistency at an inside linebacker position that remains in a state of flux.

Even at the dawn of his 14th season, it’s a challenge he welcomes.

“I look at today,” he said when asked about the tests he may face this year. “I look at today, and the challenge I faced today was to come back after a long layoff and sort of feeling like it was my first day again. That’s the number one challenge in terms of getting back to playing football the way I want to play it.”

Greg and Chris talk with Mike Reiss from ESPN Boston in hour 2 of NFL Sunday to discuss a variety of offseason happenings with the Pats and throughout the league. Greg and Chris also get into the NFL Draft and where Mariota and Winston will go.

Mike Reiss calls the guys to talk about the offseason news for the Pats. He talks about the Pats/Jets tampoering fiasco, free agency, where he sees Ridley and Connolly ending up, if the Patriots would be interested in Reggie Wayne and more.

In the first hour of the show, Greg and Chris discuss the news coming out of the owners' meetings this week and rule changes. Belichick's blow-up over the league not wanting to spend on endzone cameras was well documented and the guys react. They also talk about the Jets ridiculous tampering charges, free agents still lingering out there, where Stevan Ridley will land and the RB position in New England. Dickerson and Price briefly discuss the adventures of Tom Brady before being joined by WEEI.com's Mike Petraglia to talk all things Pats in the offseason.

Flannery joins Mut to break down the Isaiah Thomas trade to Boston and what it means for the Celtics this season and in the future. Paul also chats with Mut about the other deals that happened at the NBA's trading deadline

Mut, Tomase, and Bradford kick things off talking about Shane Victorino taking offense to people reading into some comments he made about trading for Cole Hamels. They also discuss Blake Swihart and how soon he could be up if Christian Vazquez starts the season on the DL.

Joe Kelly joined the Hot Stove show where he talked about being ready for his next spring training start after a biceps ailment forced him out of his last outing, he talks about his NCAA brackets and how teammate Wade Miley has a perfect bracket still.

Peter Chiarelli joined the Sunday Skate crew to talk about the Bruins playoff push heading into the final handful of games of the regular season. Chiarelli talked about avoiding some of the overly negative feedback he gets while realizing that the team does have real issues. He discusses what went down at the trade deadline and if he was happy with the outcome, Lucic having a down year and underperforming, the salary cap and if he considers it as big of an issue as it's been made out to be and what the future holds for the team.

It's a big hour #2 for the Sunday Skate dudes - they talk about the B's defenseman and what the future looks like at that position, with both moves the team can make and younger guys in the AHL. They also get into the Bruins philosophy on bringing guys up and sending them back down and how players deal with that. Finally, the boys are joined by Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli to discuss EVERYTHING.

The Sunday Skate crew gets the show going discussing the Bruins big, impressive victory over the NY Rangers yesterday. What can you take from that game? According to LB - Lyndon Byers - who called the guys from the road, not a lot. LB drops a dime on what was going on with the Rangers yesterday. DJ and Joe discuss Claude's lines and groupings and the importance of Ryan Spooner. They also get into Lucic, his contributions this year and if he can turn things around.

Wrestlemania was a trial run for Super Bowl 50. More Christian dog stuff. Superintendent in Chief William Gross of the BPD deals with some idiotic protesters after the fatal shooting in Roxbury on Friday night.

Shawn Thornton is now a member of the Panthers, who come to town tomorrow night. Thornton spoke about Claude Julien's control of the Bruins locker room, and his own team playing his former team on Tuesday night.